Hatchet Lady

Best remembered for using a hatchet to bust up establishments serving alcohol nearly two decades before Prohibition became the law of the land, Carrie Nation is often caricatured as a delusional zealot of the early temperance movement. An alternate view of the saloon-smashing dissident, however, is offered by Savannah Reich in her work, Hatchet Lady: Carrie Nation, Angel of Destruction. Commissioned by Walking Shadow Theatre Company, Hatchet Lady asserts that the belittling of Carrie Nation’s character is further evidence of the power harbored by those she dared to oppose, namely the institutional patriarchy. By assaulting a symbol of cultural complacency, Nation was striking a blow against the prevailing view of female subservience. This interpretation is given a convincingly kinetic kick with a bold production that depicts Nation’s crusade with the anarchic energy of a rock musical. Providing that propulsive score are “The Hatchetations,” a quartet combining the talents of local musicians. This righteously raucous production, under the deft direction of John Heimbuch, looks intent to demolish inequity wherever it imbibes. For tickets go to www.brownpapertickets.com.